Eisenmann Audi R8 Photos and Videos

United Kingdom based exhaust tuner – Eisenmann – has created a new exhaust system for the Audi R8. On itself that isn’t really special, but when you look at the picture above you’ll change your mind. The central exhaust system is specifically created for the 4.2 V8 Audi R8. Eisenmann says that no extra horsepower is produced by adding the system.

As extra you can adjust the rings inside the exhaust system by means of a remote control. Price for this package is €9,400 (£8,490 – $14,180).

Those who think the central exhaust pipe is just a bit too futuristic can also choose for a V10 look-a-like. This one will produce a better sound, but will definitely be less spectacular than the one placed central.

Audi R8 Super Sport Concept by Senner Tuning

Senner Tuning from Ingelheim, Germany, has unveiled their latest addition to its line-up of programs; the kit for the Audi R8 4.2 V8 FSI. The Super Sport Concept program consists of upgrading the exhaust system, the suspension, installing a performance upgrade and swapping the standard rims for a 20-inch wheel set.

Thanks to new engine management, the use of special sport air filter inserts – double performance air filter kit with frontal inlet for mounting into serial air filter casings – as well as an exhaust system including valve control, engine power increases up to 458hp. At the same time maximum torque reaches 470Nm.

Senner Tuning has installed new rims sizing 9×20” or 11×20”. The diamond/black/polished two-part twin spoke alloy rims are completed by SportMaxx 235/30-R-20 or 305/25-R-20 Dunlop tyres respectively. Sport suspension springs put the R8 about 25mm closer to the asphalt on the front axle and 15mm on the rear axle.

New Audi A3 TDI cuts emissions

Audi A3 1.6
A new version of the Audi A3 1.6 TDI goes on sale this week, with reduced CO2 emissions of 99g/km and combined economy of up to 74.3mpg.

The new A3 is available as a three-door only equipped to standard specification and priced at £18,005 OTR. All other variations of the 1.6 TDI continue to offer 68.9mpg and 109g/km CO2 output.

The key elements responsible for the efficiency gains include a modified final drive ratio for the standard five-speed manual transmission, a reduced ride height, under-body revisions to reduce aerodynamic drag and the use of slightly smaller 15-inch alloy wheels shod with low rolling resistance tyres.

Despite its reduced 99g/km CO2 output, the A3 1.6 TDI has the same 105PS power output and 250Nm peak torque as all other versions, and consequently matches them on performance, clearing 62mph from rest in 11.4 seconds and a maximum speed of 121mph.

2010 alt-fuel choices: Audi Q7 TDI

Only the Germans are brave enough to sell diesel-powered cars and SUVs in the US. While today’s diesels are legal in all 50 states, produce no smoke, and sound as quiet as gasoline-powered cars, most automakers avoid them like the 13th floor.

Which is a pity, considering that diesel engines offer greater fuel efficiency and pulling power. Witness the three-row Audi Q7 TDI and its colossal 406 pound-feet of torque, which the V-8 model and its EPA 13/18 rating can’t match.

If you want a diesel with a small footprint, get the $22,660 Volkswagen Jetta TDI. If you’ve got to cruise large with all the trimmings, it’s hard to pick a diesel that’s more well-crafted and stylish than the Q7.

Audi E-tron, an AW Flash Drive

Audi says the production version of the E-tron will hit 125 mph.

The Audi E-tron is a concept supercar with an all-electric drivetrain. Top speed on the production version will be electronically limited to 125 mph, while 0 to 62 mph will come up in just 4.8 seconds, Audi says.

While it looks an awful lot like an R8, and while it also has an aluminum spaceframe just as an R8 does, Audi says the only thing you see on the E-tron that is shared with its internal-combustion sibling is the windshield.

Power goes to all four wheels from a stack of lithium-ion batteries the diameter of soda-pop cans jammed in the space behind the two seats and in front of the two massive rear motors. Two smaller electric motors power the front wheels. Thirty percent of torque goes to the front, 70 percent to the rear. The battery pack makes 42.4 kilowatt-hours of energy, which allows a range of 155 miles.

The Audi E-tron will go into production in late 2011 with a cost that will be more than the R8 V10's current tab of $155,100, Audi says.

2010 Audi S5 convertible

Audi USA

When the 2010 Audi S5 Cabriolet arrived this summer, it did so with little fanfare. It acted as if it had always been around and everything was completely ordinary.

However, this particular convertible is anything but ordinary. In a move by Audi AG, the new convertible was designed to line up the brand's coupes with its convertibles. Good bye A4 Cabriolet, hello S5 drop top.

No longer will Audi's entry convertible be based on the timid A4 styling -- it gets to take on the looks of the sharply refined A5. It's the difference between looking like George Clooney and me.

There's a standoffish coolness about this car that hints at its abilities that other drivers tend to underestimate. Its unassuming angular good looks help define the S5. Many of the other European convertible coupes have gone to hard tops while the Audi decided to use a high-tech cloth top that can fold up in under 20 seconds while the car is driving up to 30 mph. The S5 convertible meshes the past and the future, it's part Ph.D. and part old school. The S5 doesn't hide the fact its top can come down, it celebrates it.

The big grille and open intakes below the bumper aren't just there to look mean, they're there to force more air into the supercharged V-6 that will eat the competition's lunch as if they were a couple of sliders on a Friday night.

That little red S isn't just a decoration to sparkle on the door sill and steering wheel. It's Audi's equivalent of an 82nd Airborne Division patch on a soldier's right sleeve -- combat proven. It doesn't take prisoners.

The S5 convertible uses a new supercharged 3-liter V-6 that courses 333 horsepower through its veins and 325 pound-feet of torque through both axles with Audi's Quattro drive. The newest Quattro drive system allows Audi to favor the rear axle in a 60/40 power split that helps the S5 maintain its race car-like handling. This system also allows the car to manage the power from wheel to wheel in each axle and its self-locking differential can send power to whichever axle has the most traction.

The seven-speed dual clutch glides through gears effortlessly and responds to the driver's wants and needs. It can change gears in two-tenths of a second. Drive aggressively, and it will keep each gear longer, winding out the revs with mechanical precision. There is no hunting for the next gear or a hesitation between them. The S5's tranny reacts almost before you knew what you were going to do.

2011 Audi A1 and Justin Timberlake on LA photo shoot

2011 Audi A8 Will Feature Google Maps Connectivity

When the next-generation Audi A8 launches in 2010, the car’s MMI navigation system will feature the first in-car connection to Google Maps. With the connection, drivers will be able to search for points of interest like “deli” or “movie theater” and get directions to the nearest such locations. You can also choose destinations online via Google Maps or a special Audi website, and then retrieve them from the car’s navigation system.

Later in the year, the MMI system will also be able to stream real-time imagery from Google Earth. That means drivers can see 3D aerial photos on the A8’s navigation screen. Streets and directions will be overlaid on the Google Earth images. The map data is downloaded over cell phones connected to the navigation system with Bluetooth.

Audi's A1 city car

Audi A1 Quattro

Audi A1

Audi A1 Sportback

Audi will reveal its long-awaited city car, the A1, online early in February, 2010 and a month later at the Geneva auto show.

The cars will inevitably do battle with the evergreen BMW-produced Mini but Audi says it will be the first automakerto offer a premium car in the sub-compact segment when it launches the A1.

If this computer rendering supplied by the Motor Authority website is anything to go by, the A1 will have unmistakable Audi DNA - it looks at lot like the existing A3 - only smaller.

Little else is known about the A1 - not prices, not engine size(s) - but expect Audi to release more information gradually in coming weeks.

Driving an Audi e-tron electric car

A journalist takes to the wheel of the Audi e-tron electric car.

CAPTION

By Chris Woodyard/Drive On

As this holiday season proves again, sometimes packaging is as important as the gift itself. That's how it is with the Audi e-tron -- an all-wheel-drive, all-electric, high-end sports car.

Though a concept for the moment, Audi is talking as if e-tron will become a production model by the end of 2012 that could sell for around $200,000. Styling, for the moment, is much like the R8 sports car without the carbon-fiber panels.

Audi e-tron goes through its paces with a California Highway Patrol cruiser bringing up the rear -- and ignoring speeding violations.

CAPTION

By Chris Woodyard/Drive On

The packaging is the car's amazing looks and gimmicks -- from wind scoops that automatically open when the car needs cooling, sensor-activated door handles and the high-tech headlights. The gift is its performance -- zero to 60 miles per hour in less than 4.7 seconds and a torque curve that never seems to let up. Here's how we know:

A little background. Drive On was invited to a remote section of stretch of ocean-view highway north of Los Angeles to give the e-tron a try. Audi has set up a little encampment in a parking lot north of Malibu where the red car is kept in a shelter, tended to by a clean-diesel generator to keep its batteries refreshed through multiple test drives. Several highway patrol officers were hired to block traffic and for pace car duty. Pretty fancy set up.

Audi A3 TDI is 'Green' car of the year

Audi board member Peter Schwarzenbauer (Marketing and Sales) stands next to an Audi A3 Sportback TDI at the LA Auto Show in Los Angeles, USA, 03 December 2009.

The Audi A3 TDI has been chosen as the 'Green' car of the year at the Los Angeles Motor Show with consumption listed at 5.6 litres per 100 kilometres while making no sacrifices to comfort and other features.

It is the second year in which a diesel car has been chosen for the award after last year's prize went to the VW Jetta. The other finalists chosen by the jury of car and environmental experts were the Toyota Prius, Honda Insight, VW Golf TDI and Ford's Mercury Milan hybrid.

The editor of Green Car Journal, Ron Cogan, said the jurors were impressed by the '50 per cent better fuel efficiency' compared to the similar petrol-engine A3.

Cogan added that this year's list of cars was the most competitive 'which clearly shows that the car industry is on the right track' in offering more environmentally friendly vehicles.

The A3 TDI sells for about 30,000 dollars in the United States.

Audi not a green car company

Audi will not follow BMW in trying to position itself as a green brand, according to company boss Rupert Stadler.

Stadler said that, while Audi will always try to build as efficient vehicles as possible, it would never sell its cars on the back of being a green brand.

"We will stick to our Vorsprung Durch Technik philosophy, not have a catch-all marketing claim such as Efficient Dynamics," said Stadler. "We're convinced in Vorsprung Durch Technik, we're a dynamic, sporty brand but not necessarily positioned as a green brand. That will come about as a matter of course.

"We want to take out weight and want to further diesel and FSI technology. We can still improve fuel consumption. But we will not position Audi as a green car brand - we will fulfil regulations - but we are also an emotional brand."

Stadler also said that Audi wouldn't put an electric car on sale until it was convinced it would give the sort of performance Audi buyers have come to expect. However, he did commit to putting the Audi E-tron into production by 2012, adding that the possibilities of electric power were interesting.

"We have to optimise performance of electric cars," he said. "Performance is part of our emotional appeal, so it’s very important.

Audi e-Tron

Audi e-Tron.

No, no. This car. This car here will be in production by 2012,” Johan de Nysschen, president of Audi of America, told me Thursday, pointing to the brilliant orange e-Tron. “And no, it will not be some watered-down version.”

What they didn’t say: Audi has been such a staunch proponent of diesel as the best fuel economy solution, it is hard to believe it is now moving ahead so quickly with a seemingly competitive technology — electricity — that it once dismissed.

What makes it tick? Four electric motors at each wheel, generating a total of 313 horsepower and a roll-your-eyeballs-back explosion of torque: 3,319 pound-feet, about 10 times that of the gasoline-powered R8 V-8. Zero to 60 m.p.h. takes just 4.8 seconds, the company says, and the top speed is 124 m.p.h. The lithium-ion battery pack is said to deliver a 154-mile driving range.

How much, how soon? Available in very limited numbers by the end of 2012. Any price speculation is purely speculative at this point, but it will be north by northwest of the $150,000 sticker on a loaded R8.

How’s it look? Like an R8 with furnace grates. Mr. de Nysschen says you can expect the production version, which will take shape over two or three years, to become “more emotional.”

Audi A7 confirmed for U.S.

2011 Audi A8
At last week's tony Design Miami reveal of the 2011 A8 luxury cruiser, we were able to corner Johan de Nysschen, Audi's executive vice president in North America, and ask him for some tasty tibits on the brand's upcoming products, including the A8's sexier derivative, the A7.

In addition to giving us the first official confirmation of the A7's existence, de Nysschen revealed that the four-door coupe model will slot in "a little bit below" the new A8 in terms of pricing, just as we expected. Of course, it's worth noting that the 2011 A8 faces a price bump due to substantial increases in content and technology, so when the A7 finally comes to the States, the average model is likely to sticker at around $82,000-$83,000, which de Nysschen says is about the price for a typically equipped 2010 A8 (pricing starts at $74,550 plus delivery).

Based on Audi's new longitudinal modular platform technology, the A7 will be clearly related to the A8 (and the A6 replacement that will follow it), and de Nysschen says that the 2009 Detroit Auto Show Sportback concept car serves as a "very reliable indicator" of what the production model will look like. Judging by recent spy shots from our friends at KGP, that very much appears to be the case. While parts commonality will be "substantial," de Nysschen says that the A7 will not use the full aluminum spaceframe design of the A8, although it will have aluminum elements.

As expected, the A8 will launch Stateside in both standard and long-wheelbase formats, with the latter predicted to make up the lion's share of the volume (the A8L presently accounts for about 80 percent of the model's sales).

Preview: 2011 Audi A8

Just before the LA Auto Show, Audi introduced the redesign of its flagship A8 in Florida. The new A8 is two inches longer and wider than the old base model. A stretched L version will arrive in about a year. It uses a similar all-aluminum space frame as before.

Despite the physical change, the new car isn’t revolutionary, but it is awash in new high-tech features. For instance, it has a standard navigation system that allows destination inputs by writing words and letters on a touch pad with your finger. Other notables include the first full-LED headlight system and adaptive cruise control that integrates traffic data from the navigation system. Like other recent Audis, the door handles become a contemporary pull-type rather than a lift up type.

The A8’s direct-injected V8 has 22 additional horsepower (for 372 total), and it is mated to a new eight-speed automatic transmission for better fuel economy. (The outgoing A8L returned 17 mpg overall in our tests.) Standard equipment includes all-wheel drive, adaptive air suspension, pre-collision avoidance system, and a lengthy roster of power amenities.

The A8 can be further outfitted with radar-guided cruise control, rear collision sensor, and lane-change warnings. With these systems, if the driver fails to slow down when approaching an obstacle, the A8 will sound an alarm. If there’s still no response, it will vibrate the steering wheel and begin to apply the brakes.

The 2011 A8 goes on sale around the end of 2010.